I was bored and started thinking about the things Mazda did first. These are the ones I remember:

Rotary Power in mass produced vehicles
Miata roadster

First and only japanese automaker to win LeMans (and did so with a rotary engine!)

Miller Cycle engine (Millenia)
Smallest V6 engine in a car (MX-3 with a 1.8L V6)
Sequential twin turbo system for a production vehicle
RX-8 crossover sport/4 door

Any more you can think of??

first import to be owned by ford.

Originally posted by moogle
first import to be owned by ford.

...are you sure??
European cars are imported too :p

Originally posted by wakeech


...are you sure??
European cars are imported too :p

It's an odd word, "imported," and how it is almost synonymous with Japanese makes, but not European makes. Perhaps it is because of the racial relativity of the mostly anglo-decended-US population compared to us in the asian population, much less those of Japanese decent.

Originally posted by wakeech


...are you sure??
European cars are imported too :p

hrm, and how many fords are built in canada/mexico? :P

First production vehicle with factory GPS system (JC Cosmo).

Originally posted by neit_jnf
I was bored and started thinking about the things Mazda did first. These are the ones I remember:

...
Miata roadster
...
The Miata was hardly an original idea by Mazda.

---jps

Originally posted by moogle
first import to be owned by ford.


Mazda announced it is 33.4 percent owned by U.S. automaker
Ford Motor Co.

Originally posted by evel333


It's an odd word, "imported," and how it is almost synonymous with Japanese makes, but not European makes. Perhaps it is because of the racial relativity of the mostly anglo-decended-US population compared to us in the asian population, much less those of Japanese decent.

it might be that, or it might be that kids in the "import scene" which started with SoCal asian kids (didn't it?) only wanted Japanese cars in the first place (like the Corolla GT-S... whoo hoo :P), so their idea of imports didn't include the (very expensive) european imports at first... just what i hear, so it could be very wrong.

personally, i believe people who only think "japanese car" or "rice burner" when they hear "import car" are pretty freakin' stupid... but that's just me.

Originally posted by Sputnik
The Miata was hardly an original idea by Mazda.

---jps

Maybe it wasn't but they were responsible for the rebirth of the roadster. After the Miata, lots others have tried it but I don't think have reached the miata's popularity.

Well when you hear import of course all you think about honda's, toyota's, mazda's and so on. That's what we all can afford.

If someone asked me what's your favorite import company I would say Ferrari. But since its 2 expensive to own, no one thinks of it as import... they call it exotic.

Originally posted by moogle
Well when you hear import of course all you think about honda's, toyota's, mazda's and so on. That's what we all can afford.

If someone asked me what's your favorite import company I would say Ferrari. But since its 2 expensive to own, no one thinks of it as import... they call it exotic.

well what if i were to say Renault, Fiat, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagon even... are those not "affordable" (to a greater or lesser extent) imports?? Porshes are mostly very exclusive, and quite expensive, but aren't all "exotic"... regardless of whether or not the price tag is high, or its level of availability, it's still an import.

Renault and Fiat aren't imported to America. Does Canada get them?

Originally posted by cueball1029
Renault and Fiat aren't imported to America. Does Canada get them?

not anymore... but i was just exemplifying.